Transposing device.



J. VAGCARO, DEUD.

P. VAGGARO, ADMINISTRATOR.

TRANSPOSING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, 1913. 1,096,651 Patented May12, 19M

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WITNESSES m/g yr'gg I I Joseph Vaccaro Z%. $VW// M ATTORNEYS J. VACGARO, DBOD.

P. VAGGARO, ADMINISTRATOR.

TRANSPOSING'DEVIOB.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, 1913.

1,096,65 1. Patented May 12, 1914.

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WITNESSES l2 INVENTOR Joseph Vaccaro J. VAGGARO, DEGD. P. VAOGARO, ADMINISTRATOR. TRANSPOSING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 22, 1913.

1,096,651, Patented May 12, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES INVENTOH Z ATTORNEYS UNITED sTATEsra'rnNT OFFICE.

Josnrn vaooano, or snrs'ron, nnonn ,isnann; rrnrn'o VACGABO anmmsrnaron or SAID JOSEPE-YAGQARO, DECEASED.- I

'rnansrosmo Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 22, 191i; SerialNo. 743,476.-

- which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. p

The invention relates to pianos and its transposing device arranged to permit the player to quickly and accurately change the connection between the keys of the piano action to allow playing of the piano a half tone, a wholetone or several tones higher or lower than the one to which the piano is ordinarily. tuned.

In order to accomplish the desired result, use is made .of a shiftable connection interposed between the keys and the abstracts of the piano action so that on actuating the connecting device the abstracts are connected with the different keys to allow of playing the piano a half tone, a whole tone or several tones higher or lower than the one to which the piano is ordinarily tuned. Use is also made of a locking device for engagement with the rear ends of the keys to hold the same in lowermost position, and operating means for the said locking device and forming a locking device for the said shiftable connection.

A practical embodiment of the invention is re resented in the accompanying B drawings orming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Fi ing evice as applied; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional plan view of the Same nth m 9 gig. 3 is a cross sectidnaflf a modified form of the transposin' deifi 6 as applied; andFig. Ms a sectionalrpla part being broken out.-

, On the piano casing A ismounted the keybedrB provided with keys C, andin the casing is arranged the usual piano action .D

having abstracts D, wippens D3, jacks D and hammers D, for sounding the piano strings E. To the lower ends of the abstracts D are pivoted levers F extending forwardly above the keys C and having object is to provide a new and improved re 1 is a cross section of the transpos view of the same on the line 4: 1 of Fig.3;v

'railG mounted to slide on a bar H attached at its ends to the sides of the piano casing Patented May 12, 1914.

A, as plainly indicated in Fig. 2. Each lever is provided with'a capstan screw I provided at its.lower end with a round head I adapted to rest on top of a key C near the rear end thereof so that when a key 1s pressed by the player an upward swinging movement is given to the correspofiding lever F whereby the abstract D.

connected with this lever F is raised to actuate the hammer D with a view to sound the corresponding string E.

The sliding rail G is connected by a link J with a transversely-extending hand lever K fulcrumed. at its rear end at K on the lower flange or extension rail D of the piano action. The forward end of the lever K passes through an opening A formed in the front A of the piano casing A, and the said hand lever K is provided at its outer end with a handle K within convenient reach of the player. The outer end of the hand lever'K engages one'of a series of notches L formed in the lower end of a plate L pivoted at its upper end at L to the outer face of the front A and the plate L is provided with a handle L adapted to be taken hold of by the player to swing the plate L upward with a view to disengage the corresponding notch L from the" hand lever K to allow the player to shift the lever sidewise either to the right or to the left according to whether the pitch is to be raised or lowered, as hereinafter more fully explained. Normally the lever K is held against movement in either; direction by the locking plate L. f

The lower endjgoff-the, locking plate L is pivotally connectedywiith' a transverse link extending throughthe-"opening A and connecting at its rear end withan arm 0' rising from a cam 0 located in the rear of thekey C and fulcrumed at its ends at O keybed B. The forward ortion of the cam O is adapted to engage t e rear ends of the keys 0 at the time the plate L is swung up ward to unlock the lever K, as previously explained, so that the rear ends of the keys in' brackets P attached to the bottom of the" their forward ends fulcrumed at F on'a. stood that when the. plate L is swung up ward and the player swings the hand lever K to the right or left until the next notch L is reached, then a sliding movement is given to the rail G to movethe lever F in such position that its capstan ll engages the next key either to the right or to the left of the one previously engaged, so that when the keys are subsequently played the pitch of,

the piano is raised or lowered a half tone; if it is desired to raise or lower the pitch of the'instrument a whole tone, then the lever K is shifted the distance of two notches L either to the right or to the left; and'for changing the pitch several t-ones, the lever K is shifted a corresponding number of notches L either to the right or to the left. It is understood that by shifting the lever K the rail G is moved acorresponding distance to shift the levers .F so that the capstans I engage the corresponding keysto raise or lower the pitch a half tone, a whole tone or several tones as the case may be.

, When the desired change has been made the plate L is returned to lowermost position to lock the lever K against movement and to cause the cam O to release the rear ends of the keys G to permit the player to play the keys in the usual manner.

' vided with capstan screws I engaging the under sides of the keys C at a'point intermediate the front and rear ends thereof. The levers F are fulcrumed on a rail, G mounted to slide on the upper face of the bottom of the keybed B, and the said rail G is provided with a depending pin G en-' gaging a hand lever K fulcrumed at its rear end at K on the bottom board of the keybed B. The forward or handle end K of the hand lever K is within convenient reach of the player to permit the latter to shift the I rail G whenever it is desired to change the position of the levers F relative to the keys C. It is understood that when a key C is played the corresponding lever F is actuated to move the abstract D upward with a view to cause the corresponding hammer ll) of the piano action to sound the corresponding string. When it is desired to raise or lower the pitch of the instrument, it is only necessary for the operator to shift the hand lever K to the right or to the left with a view to shift the levers F so that the capstans I engage different keys C.

The transposing device shown and described is very simple and durable in construction, and can be readily arranged or applied to pianos as now in use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent: 7

' 1. In a piano, the combination with a frameqhavingta slot in its front, of keys, a piano action having abstracts, levers for raising the abstracts, the levers being positioned to engage the said keys, a rail mounted to slide and on which the said levers are fulcrumed, a hand lever pivoted at its rear end on a fixed part of the frame to swing in a horizontal plane, and a connection between the said hand lever and the said rail for shifting the latter, the lever having its handle end extending through the slot in the frontof the frame.

2. In a piano, the combination with a frame having a slot in its front, 0f keys, a

piano'action having abstracts, and levers pivotally connected at their rear ends with the said abstracts and provided near their forward ends .with pins for engaging the said keys, arail' mounted to slide and on which the said levers are fulcrumed, and a laterall-y movable hand lever pivoted at its rear ,end to a fixed partof the frame and connected with the said rail for shifting the depressing and locking the rear ends of the,

keys in lowermost position, and a locking device, for the shifting means controlling the locking means for the keys.

fl. In a piano, the combination of keys, a piano action having abstracts and levers pivotally connected with the said abstracts and adapted to engage the said keys, manuallycontrolled shifting means for shifting the said levers to connect the levers with differentkeys, a locking device for engagement with the rear ends of the keys to hold the same in lowermost position, and an operating means for the said locking device and forming a locking device for the said shift- 1ng means.

5. lln a piano, the combination of keys, a piano action having abstracts, shifting le vers pivotally connected with the lower ends of the said abstracts and each having a pin positioned to engage a piano key, a rail mounted to slide and on which the said shifting levers are fulcrumed, a hand lever under the control of the-player, a connection between the said hand lever and the said rail to shift the latter on actuating the said hand lever, a locking cam mounted to swing and adapted to engage the rear ends of the said keys, a plate mounted to swing and provided with notches adapted to be engaged by the said hand lever, and a link connecting the said plate with the said locking cam.

6. In a piano, the combination of keys, a piano action having abstracts, a manually controlled shiftable connection between the said abstracts and the said keys, a locking device for the said shiftable connection, means for engaging and depressing the rear ends of the keys, and a connection between the said locking device and the said means to actuate the latter when the said locking device is moved to unlock the said shiftable connection.

7. In a piano, the combination of keys, a piano action having abstracts, a shiftable connection between the said abstracts and the said keys, a hand lever controlling said shiftable connection, a locking device for the hand lever mounted to swing into locking and unlocking position, a cam mounted-to swing and adapted to engage the rear ends of the said keys, and a link connecting the said locking device with an arm on the said cam.

8. In a piano, the combination with a frame having a slot in its front, of keys, a

piano action having abstracts, levers for raising the abstracts, the levers being provided with pins for engaging the-said keys,

a rail mounted to slide, the said levers being fulcrumed at their forward ends on said rail, a hand lever pivoted at its rear end on a fixed part of the frame, a link connecting the hand lever with the said sliding rail to shift the latter, the lever having its handle end extending through the slot in the front of the frame, and a locking plate pivoted to the outer face of the front of the frame, the locking plate having notches for engaging the hand lever to normally hold the lever against movement in either direction.

9. In a piano, the combination with a frame, of keys, a piano action'having abstracts, levers for raising the abstracts and adapted to engage the said keys, a rail mounted to slide and on whichthe said le- .vei's are fulcrumed, a hand lever fulcrumed at the rear end to swing laterally, a connection between the hand lever and the rail to shift the latter on actuating the hand lever,

JOSEPH VACCARO.

Witnesses JOSEPH F. FARRALLY, CHARLEs W. CROMER. 

